Ailing driver on way to hospital crashes, killing himself and his wife

April 16, 2014|By Susan Jacobson and Tiffany Walden, Staff Writers

A man on his way to the hospital after suffering medical complications lost control of his car and crashed, killing himself and his wife.

Carl Sala, 63, was on the way from his southeast Orange County home to Orlando Regional Medical Center Tuesday because he was hemorrhaging following a colonoscopy earlier in the day, said his son-in-law, Tom Collins.

Sala was driving west on Hoffner Avenue near La Belle Street about 9:10 p.m. when his Toyota Camry clipped a Toyota Corolla that he was passing, said Sgt. Kim Montes, a Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman.

He crashed about a quarter of a mile away. His car overturned onto the driver's side and the roof hit a brick wall and collapsed, trapping Sala and his wife, Linda. He took the wheel because she did not drive at night, Collins said.

Witnesses said Sala was driving aggressively and tailgating. He appeared to be in a hurry, Montes said.

The tragedy struck hard for a family that in 2011 lost Hailey Collins, Tom Collins' 7-year-old daughter. Carl Sala ran Hailey's Hopes & Hugs Foundation in her memory. He also worked as a maintenance manager at Mitsubishi Power Systems.

"They created a foundation to help us get through our tough times, and they continued it to help other families," Collins said.

Linda Sala was an assistant teacher at Spring of Life United Methodist Church and helped run the foundation, he said.

"Linda was a social butterfly, always looking to help somebody," Collins said.

The couple moved to Central Florida from Pasadena, Md., in 2005. They had three children and three living grandchildren, with another on the way.